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Margao: With the rise in vehicle population, parking has become a major issue in Margao, particularly, at residential and shopping complexes.

Vexed with parking woes, motorists park their vehicles near the entrances of markets, shopping complexes besides other available places, resulting in the traffic police issuing challans for violation of Motor Vehicle Act.

Vehicle owners allege that the traffic police and other authorities concerned have failed in providing designated parking space for vehicles. They say it is the duty of the authorities to provide parking spaces and not issue challans when there are no parking spaces in the town. The motorists say that the civic body and traffic police make announcements of providing parking spaces but it has not come true for the past five years.

Ulhas Kerker, a senior citizen, said that the parking problem has reached an alarming proportion, and the traffic police are helpless and unable to keep a check on the traffic congestion in the town.

The vehicle owners, who were fined for parking their vehicles in the ‘no parking’ area, said that they would like to know from authorities where they should park their vehicles in the absence of parking spaces.

Vehicle density is rising and poor planning has aggravated the situation in Margao. Vehicle owners mostly of two wheelers often quarrel over wrongly parked vehicles on the narrow roads. Prasad Shirodker, a retired government employee, said that in a day, thousands of people visit Margao, and added that they park their vehicles in any available space in the absence of parking spaces resulting in the traffic police issuing them with challans. Shirodkar said that “bank squares and shopping complexes remain congested and people have no choice but to park their vehicles on the roadsides. The congested areas in Margao include station road, Cine Lata area, telephone exchange area, near Madgaum Urban bank, area near Lohia Chowk, near Borker Super Stores, area in front of Salcete pharmacy, Hotel Bombay Café area etc.”

He felt that traffic congestion can be reduced to a certain extent by implementing well planned regulations based on traffic density.

“Another solution is to reduce the number of private vehicles entering the town. To facilitate this, good transport facility must be provided. Enough parking spaces at the entry points to the city are a necessity,” he added.

A school teacher said that one of the biggest problems that are plaguing the town is parking.

This can be solved only if more parking spaces are made available, she said adding the district administration has put up ‘no parking’ signboards on most of the roads, and sought to know where the people should park their vehicles. [NT]